Blog 1

1) As I searched the internet for an example of ethos, pathos, and logos I stumbled upon a cigarette commercial that perfectly depicts all three. This simple picture is an example of ethos because it leads us to believe that dentists would recommend Viceroy brand cigarettes over other leading brands because it filters the smoke in a more efficient way. The use of a dentist appeals to our already established trust and respect for people in fields of medicine. By using someone we know and trust the manufactorer of the cigerettes try to persuade us into using their brand over another more unhealthy alternative. This example also uses pathos because many of us are emotionally attached in some way to our dentist. By tapping into the connection you have with your dentist and the trust you have established with him on a professional level, we as the buyer feel more inclined to trust the advertisement. This emotional connection along with our emotional attachment to cigarettes as smokers makes the Viceroy brand all the more convincing. Lastly, this article is an example of logos because it really makes Viceroy brand cigarettes the more logical choice because they are healthier. In reality they may not be, however the advertisement leads us to believe that if your dentist would recommend it over another brand why not try them? Logically, we all know cigarettes are bad but if one is not as harmful, it is easier to justify continued smoking.
2) Anti gun laws are a hot-button issue today discussed in the developed public sphere. Due to people strong feelings towards recent acts of violence exigence, or a problem in the world develops. This problem of how to handle these acts of violence can lead to many people strongly siding with either side. The second of constituent part of Bitzer's of any rhetorical situation is audience, and this can be seen when looking further into the reactions of people after a large issue such as the Sandy Hook shooting. Change can only come when we together stand up for whatever it is we choose to believe and work together to achieve it. The constraints with new anti gun laws are that we as people of the United States believe its our right to bare arms and are very hesitant to make any huge decision on the topic. We do not want to be told we can no longer bare arms, because we like to have our freedom, however we would also like for our children to be safe when they perform simple tasks like attending school. These kind of constraints make it hard to persuade the population either one way or another.
3) I view rhetoric as a way of thouroghly conveying our thoughts to one another as effectively as we can. Rhetoric is a tool we can use everyday to become better able to seek out truth in what others are saying, as well as portray our own messages to others. It is important to study rhetoric because it helps us to not only portray our own views in the most influential way, but also understand why others want you to believe what they do. As I learn more and more about rhetoric I feel as though my eyes have been open slightly to a totally different view of the world, and why people do what they do.